Chess Woods Guide information

"Wood Pushers" is a term sometimes used as a synonym to "chess player", because wood is the most popular material used in the creation of chess pieces and chess boards. Often, chess pieces will be carved or turned from hardwoods for their qualities that lend themselves well to carving.

Many of these ideal hardwoods (including Ebony, Rosewood, Sandalwood and Boxwood) are now endangered. As such, they have become rare and valuable, and are therefore costly to acquire for the creation of high quality chess sets.

When it comes to the chessboard, however, a much wider range of woods can be used. For instance, Maple is often used for the light colored squares on the chess board. The light colored chess pieces, by contrast, are usually carved from Boxwood, a creamy yet extremely hard wood.